ANZAC Day 2016

ANZAC Day 2015

Heartlanders: New Zealanders of the Great War

The National Army Museum, along with the help of the New Zealand Lotteries Commission, has developed a travelling World War I exhibition which is to tour around the country visiting over 25 destinations throughout New Zealand. The exhibition aims to bring the stories of the brave soldiers who fought in World War I back home to the communities where their journey began.

The Patriotic Call to Yarn is Answered

**Project now closed**

Just like the thousands of Patriotic Associations around New Zealand 100 years ago, the knitters and crafters of New Zealand have answered the ‘call to yarn’. The National Army Museum in Waiouru is delighted to announce they have reached the target of 18,166 hand-crafted poppies to commemorate all those soldiers who died in World War One. In fact the enthusiasm of New Zealand’s knitters has been so great that the museum now has over 30,000 poppies in total.

Poppy Project Co-ordinator Alison Jones said, “Thank you New Zealand, but it is now time to lay down your needles – Armistice is called on the Patriotic Call to Yarn Project. Please send in any poppies you currently have, we will accept all poppies.”

Museum staff have been touched by the overwhelming response and the numerous stories of personal tributes to family members who served. As a result of the response staff decided it was appropriate to extend the initial ‘call to yarn’ with another project named “The Last Post”. This is to become a tribute to all other men and women who have been lost to war and conflict outside World War One and represents a further 12,309 (based on the museum’s Tears on Greenstone roll of honour database).

Currently a team of dedicated volunteers are carefully hand sewing these wonderful poppy tributes for the World War One project onto specially made hessian panels in preparation for permanent display in the museum’s ‘Roimata Pounamu Tears on Greenstone Memorial’. It is planned that this will be completed in time for ANZAC Day.

Once this is completed the design of the Last Post display of poppies will be finalised.

Thanks to all those who have made such a heartfelt tribute to New Zealand’s fallen heroes. Currently several panels can be seen on display in the museum’s greenstone memorial.